Leftover Pot Roast Shines As The Ground Beef Alternative In This Classic Italian Casserole

Sunday pot roasts used to be a staple in many American households. It's still a savory, economical way to enjoy a beef dinner, but it can be a big dish if you aren't hosting a crowd. You can incorporate leftover pot roast into protein-packed breakfast dishes, but an even better way to use up a decent amount of the tender, slow-cooked meat is by using it in place of ground beef in lasagna.

Meat-based lasagnas traditionally feature a beef bolognese or a ragu of ground beef, sometimes blended with pork or sausage. Simmered in a tomato puree with stock or wine and minced onions, the ragu creates structure, adds flavor and protein, and provides moisture for the pasta as the dish bakes. Incorporating pot roast — usually made with a tough cut, such as chuck roast — with either a tomato sauce or its own gravy is a rich, savory twist.

This swap-out is a popular one, as the significant variety of pot roast lasagna recipes online can attest. It works because the slow-cooked beef is easily shredded to create a filler for lasagna, and has a built-in sauce. In fact, pot roast and gravy as a pasta topping is already an excellent use of leftovers. Otherwise, the recipe is essentially the same: Set two to four layers of pasta, meat sauce, and béchamel or ricotta in a baking dish, top with mozzarella and parmesan, and bake at 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and depth of your dish.

This is a flexible recipe, but there are still tips for creating the tastiest, sturdiest pot roast lasagna. It's first worth noting that pot roast often has a bland broth, tasting more like a mild stew than a pasta meat sauce. If you're already planning on using the pot roast in lasagna, you can tweak the gravy ingredients to be more tomato- and spice-driven. Alternatively, embrace the distinctive flavor notes that the seasoned beef broth brings to the classic pasta dish, and ramp up savory ingredients such as red wine, Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms, oregano, rosemary, or black pepper. If your pot roast includes carrots, celery, or other veggies, you can remove them before building your baked lasagna, or include them as a creative twist.

Since moisture levels may be higher or lower in a pot roast gravy than your favorite lasagna simmer sauce, consider using uncooked oven-ready lasagna noodles, which absorb more moisture, or parboil your pasta for a minute or two. It stays firmer than fully cooked pasta, which can get mushy, absorb too much moisture, or fall apart as you try to eat it. You can also leave most of the gravy out, and simmer chunks of shredded, cooked pot roast in a traditional tomato-based ragu.

Finally, the challenge with leftovers is you may not have enough to create a complete second dish. The easiest fix is to supplement the protein with ground beef or crumbled Italian sausage. Alternatively, you can make less lasagna in a smaller baking dish or skillet, or create individual servings by layering broken-up lasagna noodles with the meat and cheese fillings in large ramekins.